Delany: 'We pursue championships'

[PRHusky]

I'm augmenting reality? When in another thread even other UConn fans admit Indiana would be in front of UConn in overall academics? You're the one cherry picking numbers here, not me.



Funny how you mention Michigan when one of those losing years was the same team that beat UConn 30-10...the same year you won went to a BCS bowl. Just shows how much easier wins are to come by when you're in the Big East.

You are wrong about that Michigan team, which had a winning record, record breaking performances by Denard Robinson and went on to play in the Gator Bowl if I am not mistaken. As for that UConn team, it also lost to Temple and was shut out by Louisville early in the season. Totally different team by the end of the season.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Limiting the discussion to Football:

1.I'm not convinced that UConn Admin + AD is really willing to invest what it takes to win and win consistently
2. ...while admittedly this is an outside view, the sense I get is that the UConn fanbase as a whole doesn't care enough to demand FB excellence and be willing to pay up (either in donations or big time boosters) in order to get that.

Some data points on why I feel this way.

1. Inability to keep Randy Edsall who pretty much bolted as soon as he got an offer from Maryland (in fact, I believe had signed the contract for Maryland before the BCS game)
2. Hiring a has-been HC as a replacement (Pasqualoni) + value hires for OC/DC
3.Relatively small FB stadium that doesn't seem to fill up consistently (the fact that its not on-campus is also a ding, but I realize that there were some logistical limitations to this)
4.Very little marketing push
5.I don't really sense that Pasqualoni is on the coaching hot seat - will he be fired after another 5-7 or 6-6 season? From where I sit I would venture a "No" but I can be wrong on this one...

Admittedly there are lower end FB schools in the P5 that are doing similar things to UConn but as a newish program looking from the outside I think UConn needs to be willing to throw lots of cash into this in order to guarantee a spot - if that is UConn's stance I don't think that has been effectively communicated outside of Storrs.

1) This is (mostly) the fault of former AD Jeff Hathaway, his regime was a spectacular failure.
2) Again, Hathaway. His hiring of PP surprised everyone, angered the fanbase, and created an immediate and very public dispute with one of UConn's most important boosters, the guy whose name is on the football training center.
3) We are a young program - the fact that we can sell 30,000+ in a lowly conference like the Big East is miraculous considering how young we are. Being in the AAC and having to grow attendance will be difficult. In the B1G, it would sell out more often than not.
4) Hathaway again, who did nothing in the way of innovative promotion. That said, it's gotten better. Warde Manuel is doing the best he can with a sh!tty hand.
5) If PP doesn't win 8 or more games this year, there will be howls of discontent and calls for his ouster. This is his make or break season.

It seems UConn is being held to a higher standard than half the schools already in the P5. By some of your own words - its not good enough for us to be middle of the pack, we have to be better than average. Double standards much?

 

[woomba]

You are wrong about that Michigan team, which had a winning record, record breaking performances by Denard Robinson and went on to play in the Gator Bowl if I am not mistaken. As for that UConn team, it also lost to Temple and was shut out by Louisville early in the season. Totally different team by the end of the season.

Ah - that whole period sucked so much that I tend to lump all the Rich Rod years together :| You're right, of course.

 

[uconnfan68]

I'm augmenting reality? When in another thread even other UConn fans admit Indiana would be in front of UConn in overall academics? You're the one cherry picking numbers here, not me.



Funny how you mention Michigan when one of those losing years was the same team that beat UConn 30-10...the same year you won went to a BCS bowl. Just shows how much easier wins are to come by when you're in the Big East.

We played poorly that day, and Denard Robinson had the game of his life. And we went to a BCS game and UM didn't. Quite frankly, I really would rather not go to the B1G. All I see is a crumbling infrastructure still stuck on whatever tradition they had 50 years ago. You're as ethically challenged as the SEC. but without the population to keep you going.

 

[woomba]

1) This is (mostly) the fault of former AD Jeff Hathaway, his regime was a spectacular failure.
2) Again, Hathaway. His hiring of PP surprised everyone, angered the fanbase, and created an immediate and very public dispute with one of UConn's most important boosters, the guy whose name is on the football training center.
3) We are a young program - the fact that we can sell 30,000+ in a lowly conference like the Big East is miraculous considering how young we are. Being in the AAC and having to grow attendance will be difficult. In the B1G, it would sell out more often than not.
4) Hathaway again, who did nothing in the way of innovative promotion. That said, it's gotten better. Warde Manuel is doing the best he can with a sh!tty hand.
5) If PP doesn't win 8 or more games this year, there will be howls of discontent and calls for his ouster. This is his make or break season.

It seems UConn is being held to a higher standard than half the schools already in the P5. By some of your own words - its not good enough for us to be middle of the pack, we have to be better than average. Double standards much?

Oh - absolutely there is a double standard. That's the name of the game when there's no inherent instability with the current membership in the major conferences - the school has to be so good that the conference is willing to expand just for the sake of adding another gem.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

We played poorly that day, and Denard Robinson had the game of his life. And we went to a BCS game and UM didn't. Quite frankly, I really would rather not go to the B1G. All I see is a crumbling infrastructure still stuck on whatever tradition they had 50 years ago. You're as ethically challenged as the SEC. but without the population to keep you going.

Do not like.

I would accept a B1G invite before they were done finishing the sentence containing the invite.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Oh - absolutely there is a double standard. That's the name of the game when there's no inherent instability with the current membership in the major conferences - the school has to be so good that the conference is willing to expand just for the sake of adding another gem.

Good that you admit that. Now that it's out in the open that UConn is being held to a higher standard than many of your own conference brethren, we can dispense with the lectures on what we need to do better - or how we lack "commitment." You basically just admitted there is no good reason for UConn to be where it is, other than politics. Which is what we, as Husky fans, have known all along.

 

[itgoeslike]

I'm augmenting reality? When in another thread even other UConn fans admit Indiana would be in front of UConn in overall academics? You're the one cherry picking numbers here, not me.

Cherry Picking? I was quoting one of YOUR sources. Also, USNWR has IU ranked at 83. My nephew was accepted to Indiana and considered it because it is a good school. He opted to attend Wisconsin and will competing in athletics this fall. You're the one having trouble giving credit, where credit is due. Anyhow, if I only cared about academics, I would have been pushing to get into the ACC. They have a higher median average when it comes to academic rankings. Louisville being the exception.

Woomba said: Funny how you mention Michigan when one of those losing years was the same team that beat UConn 30-10...the same year you won went to a BCS bowl. Just shows how much easier wins are to come by when you're in the Big East.

Sorry Woomba, Michigan went 7-6 that year. You are probably confusing their records of 5-7 and 3-9 in the prior two years. It's tough to keep all those losses straight. And by the way, UCONN fumbled a go ahead TD on the goal line. Michigan won that game with UCONN's help and they didn't pull away until the fourth quarter.

 

[woomba]

Good that you admit that. Now that it's out in the open that UConn is being held to a higher standard than many of your own conference brethren, we can dispense with the lectures on what we need to do better - or how we lack "commitment." You basically just admitted there is no good reason for UConn to be where it is, other than politics. Which is what we, as Husky fans, have known all along.

Most of my discussions here have been on what has to happen in order for UConn to get in, which spans athletics + variety of other factors. Not the idea that UConn doesn't have the specs comparable to many schools in a P5 conference.

Almost everything else is me reacting to what I think are inaccuracies about Big Ten schools and/or NYC.